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As we approach the end of the second decade of the 21st century, what are the major issues facing Cheshire communities?

From the future of retail to transport infrastructure, Michael Green reports.

NORTHGATE DEVELOPMENT

Will it or won’t it? Ever happen that is!

There is arguably no bigger issue in Chester at the moment than the fate of the proposed £300m Northgate development which is a mix of retail, leisure and housing. Nothing less than the future prosperity of the city centre lies at stake.

The scheme actually dates back to the turn of this century with the original development falling victim to the 2008 economic slump. Cheshire West and Chester Council revived the concept a few years back but it has been beset with setbacks, delays and doubts over its funding.

The revived project suffered its biggest blow to date earlier this year when House of Fraser - announced long ago as the flagship superstore around which the rest of it would be built - pulled out in the wake of the retailer’s own monumental problems.

But all is not lost. The council now seems to have admitted it needs to scale back the retail elements to something more realistic.

The incredible success of the Storyhouse cultural centre, which has already done so much to boost the Northgate area, is now likely to replace House of Fraser as the focal point of the scheme.

Everything now hinges on the much delayed result of the public inquiry into the local authority’s applications for compulsory purchase orders which, if successful, will provide just the kick start the project needs. If the decision goes against the council, it is difficult to see how it can possibly succeed.

Therefore its future lies in the hands of the government.

THE FUTURE OF RETAIL

The significance of the Northgate development in Chester goes way beyond its £300m scale - it is indicative of one of the toughest dilemmas facing any high street in the country - how to attract shoppers on to the streets and away from their phones and laptops.

During the first half of this year, it felt like we were announcing the closure of at least one shop every week. Those doubting the viability of the Northgate scheme believe the money should be invested in reviving the fortunes of the entire city centre not just one part of it.

And Chester is far from alone.

The departure of major stores like M&S from Crewe town centre has had a devastating effect on its economy and the hope there is that HS2 may inject new life into the area - but many feel the cost may be too high.

At the other end of the county in Macclesfield, there are hopes a major new food hall on the site of the historic Picturedrome will spark some renewed investment into the town.

And then there is the continued threat from out of town shopping developments - Ellesmere Port has yet to recover from the impact of Cheshire Oaks while IKEA continues to draw shoppers away from the centre of Warrington to its outskirts where there are giant M&S and Asda stores.

HIGH SPEED 2

High Speed 2 - known as HS2 - is a planned high-speed railway directly linking London, Birmingham, the East Midlands, Leeds and Manchester.

Due to open in phases between 2026 and 2033, it will have 330 miles of track, and high-speed trains will travel up to 250 mph.

The main area of Cheshire impacted by the scheme is South Cheshire, especially Crewe where up to 25,000 jobs are predicted to be created during construction.

However, residents in the area are concerned about potential noise pollution and issues with construction of the tunnels which will go through the area.

To be “HS2-ready” has entered the local lexicon and poses a conundrum. Will Crewe station be ready for 14 x 225mph trains every hour by 2027?

An agreement in principle, in financing the station, has still to be reached. This could be a complicated negotiation involving a number of councils and agencies.

However, there is also hope this will be the catalyst for a regeneration of Crewe’s hard hit town centre which has declined alarmingly in recent years.

Cheshire East Council has committed £120m of infrastructure funding to improve Crewe as a transport and commercial hub as part of a ‘masterplan’.

As Leonie Dubois, head of consultation and engagement at HS2, said recently: “Crewe has been at the forefront of railway transformation throughout history, and we want them to be again.”

But it’s not only South Cheshire where fears are being expressed. Warrington North Labour MP Helen Jones is also worried about the impact it will have on her town’s communities of Culcheth and Hollins Green where permanent road closures and diversions will bring significant inconvenience and disruption to people.

But she seems resigned to the inevitable, saying: “I don’t hold out much hope that, even with a show of massive opposition from residents, they will change their plans significantly.”

SMART MOTORWAYS

(Image: Handout)

The motorway network through Cheshire is extensive and incredibly busy and congested. Barely a day goes by without some kind of major incident on the M6, M53, M56 or M62.

The government is pinning its hopes for improvements to this situation on so-called smart motorways which use active traffic management techniques to increase capacity by use of variable speed limits and hard shoulder running at busy times.

But the construction of them is probably the motorist’s biggest traffic nightmare at the moment, especially on the M6 where you can barely reach the national speed limit before being forced to slow down by roadworks and narrower lanes as the smart motorway construction continues.

This seems to be at its worst on the M6 around Sandbach, a key pinch point for one of the schemes, where major incidents are currently a weekly occurrence.

But there is an end in sight to the frustrations caused by all of this - the Cheshire smart motorway project is due to be completed by the end of March 2019.

BUS SERVICES IN WARRINGTON

(Image: Publicity picture)

Significant improvements have been made to bus services in the Warrington area in recent months, especially with the launch of Network Warrington’s Cheshire Cat in the area south of the Ship Canal.

Buses in the south network have been simplified and improved with the introduction of a new, cutting-edge bus fleet featuring the latest transport essentials, including WiFi, skylights, extra leg room, comfy seats and USB charging points.

Now attention is turning to the west of Warrington starting with a community roadshow event which took place recently at Penketh.

Ben Wakerley, managing director of Warrington’s Own Buses, says from the feedback they received from this event, they will be looking at how they can improve bus provision in west Warrington, but also review areas where there may be a need for buses in new and emerging areas of the town.

He said: “We have many communities that greatly value our bus service and from their feedback we can now look at new ways of encouraging other people to leave their cars in the garage more often.”

PICTUREDROME TRANSFORMATION

An iconic landmark could disappear for good from the Macclesfield landscape but it could be the start of a major transformation for the town centre.

The Picturedrome is the oldest cinema in Macclesfield, having first opened in 1911, but now there are proposals to turn it into a trendy food hall with eight independent kitchens and bars, as well as a communal food hall for 180 people.

The movie house tradition would be acknowledged with a projector screen which would be set up at the back of the hall to show films. Nick Johnson, head of Market Operations - which is behind the plan - thinks the scheme could be a catalyst for the town.

He said: “We see the potential of our proposals for The Picturedrome to not only deliver a great new place attractive to a wide range of people but it will also be a catalyst for transformational change in the way our projects have been in Altrincham and on the edge of the Northern Quarter.”